Oahu, Hawaii

Oahu Schools

There are approximately 246 public schools and 138 private schools statewide. On Oahu, the University of Hawaii has two campuses (Manoa and West Oahu) and the community colleges of Honolulu, Kapiolani, Leeward, and Windward. Other four-year universities include Brigham Young University, Chaminade University and Hawaii Pacific University.

Flood Insurance

In July 2012, the U.S. Congress passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act which calls on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other agencies, to make a number of changes to the way the National Flood Insurance Program is run. Key provisions of the legislation will require the NFIP to raise rates to reflect true flood risk. Many Oahu homes and businesses are materially effected.

This means insurance premium rates will increase for some—but not all—policyholders over time. In some cases premiums will rise by a substantial amount over the premiums previously charged for flood insurance for a given property on Oahu.

Because premiums are changing, you should not rely on the premiums previously paid for flood insurance on a property as an indication of the premiums that will apply now. You should consult with a flood insurance carrier for a better understanding of flood insurance coverage, the premiums that are likely to be required to purchase such insurance and any available information about how those premiums may increase in the future.

Hawaii homeowners and business owners are encouraged to learn their flood risk and talk to their insurance agent to determine if their policy will be affected.

Talk to your insurance agent about your ﬂood insurance options. You can usually get ﬂood insurance coverage from the insurance agent who sells your homeowners policy.

Flood Zones are rated on a scale from Moderate/Low Risk to High Risk. If the home you are considering purchasing is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and you obtain a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, your mortgage lender will require you to purchase flood insurance in connection with your purchase.

Animal Quarantine

Hawaii is rabies-free & maintains animal quarantine regulations in an effort to remain so. Generally, pets are quarantined for 120 days, but efforts taken prior to your relocation could make your pet eligible for the “5 Days or Less” alternative.

Hawaii Tourism

Established in 1998, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is the lead state agency for tourism. HTA hosts a wealth of travel and vacation planning information which is also valuable to new residents at their site www.GoHawaii.com.

Video courtesy of gohawaii.com, Hawaii's Official Travel Site #lethawaiihappen

Property Taxes

A recent WalletHub report finds Hawaii to have the lowest effective property tax rate in the U.S. Set apart from many other U.S. resort destinations, here in Hawaii property taxes are not tied to the sales price or a huge concern in factoring property affordability.

Residence "A" Property Tax Classification

In July of 2014, the Honolulu City Council approved a new property tax classification for non-owner-occupied residential properties with assessed values over $1 million, impacting second home owners and investors.

The new "Residential A" classification is subject to a higher tax rate of $6 per $1,000 of assessed value compared to other residential properties on Oahu taxed at $3.50 per $1,000. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the intent was to shelter owners of lower-priced homes and those living in their homes from the higher tax rates.

Newcomer's Guide

The listing information set forth on this site is based upon information which we consider reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties to our franchisees (who in turn supplied it to us), we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such.The offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes, including price, or withdrawal without notice.All dimensions are approximate and have not been verified by the selling party and cannot be verified by Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. It is recommended that you hire a professional in the business of determining dimensions, such as an appraiser, architect or civil engineer, to determine such information. If you have a question pertaining to purchase, sales or lease of Hawaii real estate or a question about our company, please contact us via the CONTACT page.

LIST Sotheby’s International Realty Contact Details:

Main address: 4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite 10096816Honolulu, Hawaii ,

Tel:808.735.2411,

Location Information: LIST Sotheby’s International Realty is the leading luxury residential real estate brokerage on O’ahu, providing exceptional service and market knowledge to buyers and sellers of single-family homes and condominiums island-wide.